Resilient brake connection



Jan. 25, 1938. DOREY v 2,106,343

RESILIENT BRAKE CONNECTION Original Filed June 27; 1935 Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 27,

1935, Serial No. 28,604

Renewed August 2, 1937 4 Claims.

My invention relates to-an improved resilient brake connection for railway brakes and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a rel5 silient extensible connection which will also be capable of operating as a rigid compression member.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved resilient connection which may 10 function as a complete self-contained unit and be cheaply and readily assembled.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a resilient connection especially adapted for use in conjunction with a pivoted lever and par- 15, ticularly where a slotted connection is employed between the lever and the connection.

Another particular object of my invention is to provide a resilient connection where friction between the parts is largely eliminated and the 20 sensitiveness of the spring to changes in load is not impaired.

My invention further resides in certain details of construction such as will be fully pointed out hereinafter and claimed.

25 For further. comprehension of, my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical, elevational sidevie-w of the end portion of a railway car showing my im- -3 proved connection incorporated in the hand brake connections of a railway car.

Figure 2 is a vertical, elevational view showing as much of the end of the car as will illustrate the construction shown in Figure 1, as viewed .35 from right to left.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view showing the resilient portion of the structure illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view showing the structure of '40 Figure 3, as viewed from right to left.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view as seen on a line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional plan view as seen on a line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing l indicates the end wall of the car, H the side wall, l2 the top rail member of the end wall and [3 the end wall bottom member. Rigidly mounted adjacent the bottom of the end wall is a bracket M, with 50 which is pivotally associated a cam lever l5.

Said lever I is mounted with its pivotal end to lie between walls l6l6 of the bracket [4 and is extended downwardly to present an extension I1 projecting outwardly beyond the car end 55 wall, said extended portion atits outer. end being provided with a slot l8, and intermediately with a cam portion [9 on which is adapted to wind a chain connection 20. The connection 20 is connected to the lever at 2| and extends therefrom beneath the car to connect with the usual brake 6 rigging parts (not shown).

Adjacent the upper portion of the car there is provided a hand brake winding arrangement indicated at A. Said brake winding arrangement A includes a suitable housing 22, rigidly mounted on the car structure and within the said housing there is mounted a gear wheel 23, said gear wheel having associated therewith a winding drum 24. I

Rotation of the gear wheel is efiected by means of a pinion 25, which is adapted to be in constant mesh with the gear wheel 23. Rotation of the pinion is efiected by means of hand brake wheel 26 and unwinding movement of the brake is prevented by means of rachet and pawl mechanism indicated at 21 and 28 respectively, the latter being adapted to be operated from the exterior of the housing by means of a weighted lever 29 disposed outwardly of the hand brake housing.

Extending between the hand brake winding mechanism A and the lever I5 is a chain connection B, having at one end thereof a resilient extensible connection C. The chain is united with the drum 24 by means of a pin or rivet 30 and is adapted to wind on the said drum 24. Connection between the chain B and the connection C is provided by a clevis 3|, the latter straddling .the end of the connection C and united therewith by means of a rivet 32.

The resilient connection C includes an elongated rod 33 which is preferably formed of a round bar upset at its upper end to present a flat tongue portion 34. The opposite endof the rod 33 is preferably flattened for an appreciable distance as indicated at 35 and beyond said flat portion the rod is upset to present laterally extending shoulders 36, forming a T shaped head, the said shoulder being preferably formed of a width corresponding substantially to the diameter of the circularbar. Encircling the flattened portion 35 of the rod is a coil spring 31, said spring being adapted to rest on the shoulders 36 of the rod.

Disposed at the sides of the rod are a pair of 50 yoke members 3838. Each said yoke member 38 is provided with a shouldered portion 39, which bears-on the opposite end of the spring to that engaged by the sholuders 36 and said yoke portions are eachprovided with a flat portion 55 beyond the separator, the said respective parts.

43 of the pair being provided with transversely aligned openings 4444 for receiving a pin 45' whereby connection is effected withthe lever l5,

The flat portions and enlarged portions 43 which lie beyond the spring are generally-formed of greater width than the inside diameter of the spring and consequently when assembling the device it is necessary for the separate parts of the pair of yoke members '38 to be individually threadedthrough the spring, the shoulders 39 and the shank portions 46 of the yoke members being so formed and proportioned as to readilypass through the spring when the pair of yoke members are disposed side, by side. After the yoke members have been inserted through the spring a sufficient distance for the shoulders 3 9'-39 to clear the end of the spring, the said pair of yoke members are spaced apart bringing the shoulders members; it beingpunderstood that the tongue portion 34 of the rod is of a size to permit of its ready passage through the inside of the coil spring. 'The shank portion 41 of the yoke members is preferably of segmental shape, the outer surface being curved as indicated at 48 to correspond to the inside curvature of the spring and the opposite or inner surface being fiat as indicated at 49. The two yoke members are further maintained in spaced relation by the separator which preferably is of a triangular shape formation with one side of the triangle bearing against the lower part of the shoulder 36; said separator is further maintained against turning movement on the pivotal axis of therivet 42 by reason of flat ridge portions 50 'which extend parallel with and engage the flat surface 49 of the separator. The separator 4| operates to space the inner flat wall portions of the yoke members sufiiciently to prevent binding between the yoke pieces and the rod 33, as well as providing adequate clearance between the pivoted lever l'5 'and the clevis portion40 of the yoke members.

In adevice of this character wherein there is considerable play in the connections between a lever and the associated jaws it is highly desirable that the resilient connection should be free from objectionable rattling and that the jointed rod should function with the reliability of a rigid one piece structure and therefore the coil spring is placed under a slight initial compression, such initial compression being maintained by having the separator 4| bearing directly against the shoulder 36 of the central rod. Y

My invention is such that, for all'practical purposes, a rod operates with the same freedom as if the jaws were formed integrally therewith and only when a tension strain exceeding the tension provided by the compression of the-spring, does the rod operate as a resilient connection.

Another further advantage of my construction resides in the fact that "the rod operates equally satisfactorily in compression as in tension and the necessity of this rod operating as a compression member will be noted by reference to Figure l of the drawing wherein it will be seen that the connection between the resilient connection and the lever is through the medium of a slot IS, the weight of the rod and the associated parts in this construction being available to assist in releasing the brake rigging by acting in a downward direction to induce movement of lever in a clockwise direction and thereby relieving the tension on the chain 20.

The rod 33 is centered in all directions with respect to the spring by reason of the segmental shape-yoke members conforming substantially to the inner curvature of the coil spring and the flat portion" 2ll'of the bar being formed of a width corresponding to the inside diameter of the spring.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that the same is merely illustrative and I claim all modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim is:

v 1. As an article of manufacture, a resilient extensible connection including a rod having at one end thereof. a clevis ,mounted for lengthwise movement relatively to the rod; shoulders on the rod and clevis respectively; a spring encircling the clevis and interposed between the shoulders of the said rod and clevis, said clevis being formed of two parts, each disposed on opposite sides of the rod and formed with an enlarged portion projecting beyond the rod, said enlarged portion being adapted to receive a pin for connection with an adjacent connection; and a separator lying between the end of the rod and the said pin, said separator being rigidly united with the pair of clevis parts and acting as a separator to restrain impingement of the clevis parts on the rod.

7 2. As an article of manufacture, a resilient extensible connection including a rod having at one end thereof a clevis mounted for lengthwise movement relatively to the rod; shoulders on the rod and clevis respectively; a spring encircling the clevis and interposed between the shoulders of the rod and clevis; said clevis being formed of two parts, each disposed on opposite sides of the rod and formed'with 'a portion projecting beyond the rod for attachment with an adjacent member; and a separator lying between and united with the pair of clevis parts by means of a member passing through said pair of yoke members and separator; and interengaging means between said yoke members and separator to prevent turning movement of said separator about its connecting member.

3. As an article of manufacture, a resilient connection entering in the brake system of a railway car and the like and adapted to resiliently unite'two parts, said connection including a rod having at one end thereof an eye for connection with one of the parts and having at the opposite end laterally extending shouldered portions; a coil spring encircling the rod and adapted to bear at one'end against the shoulder of the rod, said spring being of an inside diameter to permit threading of the eye therethrough; a pair of shouldered yoke members adapted to bear on the therewith thereby presenting a olevis having a pair of spaced arms adapted to receive therebetween and connect with the other of the parts.

4. As an article of manufacture, an extensible connection including a rod; a pair of yoke members movable lengthwise of the rod and disposed in spaced relation on opposite sides of the rod; shoulders projecting laterally from the yoke members and rod respectively; and a coil spring encircling the yoke members and interposed between said shoulders of the rod and yoke respectively, said yoke members being extended beyond the spring and there formed with flat portions of greater width than the inside diameter of the.

spring for connecting with an adjacent member; means for maintaining the said yoke members in spaced relation, said means including a separator interposed between and united with the pair of yoke members, said shoulders of the respective yoke members being of a. shape and size as to permit of the individual members of the pair being separately threaded into place through the spring and thereafter locked in place by being spaced apart and maintained in such spaced relation by the rod and separator.

GEORGE B. DOREY. 

